EMPIRE STATE DEVELOPMENT ANNOUNCES GRAND OPENING OF
KODAK CELL ASSEMBLY CENTER AT EASTMAN BUSINESS PARK
New Center Expands Rochester Region Resources for Development and Manufacturing of Innovative Batteries and Other Energy Storage Technologies
Investment Complements “Finger Lakes Forward” – The Region’s Comprehensive Strategy to Revitalize Communities and Grow the Economy
Empire State Development (ESD) today announced the opening of the Kodak Cell Assembly Center at Eastman Business Park (EBP) in Rochester, Monroe County. The Kodak Cell Assembly Center, created in partnership with the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (NY-BEST), is a valuable addition to the Finger Lakes region’s product development and manufacturing resources for advanced batteries and energy storage devices. The project will result in the creation of at least nine direct jobs by 2019, while adding valuable new capabilities at EBP and helping to attract more new business to the 1,200-acre campus and the Finger Lakes Region.
Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Howard Zemsky said, “The Kodak Cell Assembly Center further establishes New York State, and the Finger Lakes in particular, as a world-class hub for the energy storage technology industry. The partnership with NY-BEST will help to provide valuable resources to the companies, researchers and entrepreneurs working to innovate and improve energy storage and advanced battery technologies.”
The Kodak Cell Assembly Center (the Center) completes an ecosystem of three core processes for energy storage manufacturing, providing coating, assembly, and testing all in one location. The facility allows for design and development from small to large-scales. This energy storage hub will serve to support New York State goals for sustainable energy, which require new energy storage solutions such as solar and wind power.
President of Eastman Business Park and Corporate Real Estate, Dolores Kruchten, said, “Opening the Kodak Cell Assembly Center will improve the success rate of energy storage companies. The cooperative relationship we have built for energy storage, with Kodak Coating Services, the new Kodak Cell Assembly Center and DNV-GL and NY-BEST with the BEST Test and Commercialization Center is a game-changer for development and innovation. We make it possible to do coating, assembly, and testing all in one location for the first time.”
NY-BEST Executive Director William Acker said, “The energy storage industry is growing exponentially and the new Cell Assembly Center, when combined with New York’s existing state-of-the-art facilities for battery development, prototyping and commercialization, will further strengthen New York’s ability to attract and grow energy storage companies in New York.”
The Center will include two multi-user battery cell assembly lines to provide pilot manufacturing services to battery and energy storage companies. The effort will complement electrode development and product capabilities and expertise at Kodak Coating Services; as well as NY-BEST’s Test and Commercialization Center, a battery cell commercialization and testing center located in the same building at EBP, and the Battery Prototyping Center located nearby at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Kodak, NY-BEST and RIT work together to provide the tools and resources necessary for companies to develop, test and commercialize new batteries, ultracapacitors and energy storage products.
Empire State Development is supporting the partnership through a $1.2 million Finger Lakes Forward Upstate Revitalization Initiative grant. The total cost for the innovative, collaborative endeavor is $5.9 million.
Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council Co-Chairs Wegmans Food Markets Chairman Danny Wegman and Monroe Community College President Anne Kress said, “The Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council is focusing on these types of partnerships which we believe will translate into next generation scientific discoveries. This effort will harness the expertise of private and research companies as well as local universities. Together, they will work to create the next generation of innovative products, driving the regional economy, creating jobs.”
The energy storage industry is growing rapidly in New York State. In January of 2017, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced 30 percent job growth in New York’s energy storage industry over four years, bringing employment in the industry to 3,900. The state’s energy storage industry’s annual global revenues grew 50 percent to $906 million between 2012 and 2015. According to NYSERDA, by 2030, the energy storage industry could realize annual global revenues between $5.6 and $8.7 billion with total job growth between 17,300 and 26,800 employees.
NYSERDA President and CEO Alicia Barton said, “New York is already at the forefront of driving innovation and commercialization in the energy storage industry. The new Kodak Cell Assembly Center builds on this momentum and will accelerate our ability to meet Governor’s Cuomo’s nation-leading clean energy goals with technologies that are made in New York.”
State Assembly Majority Leader Joe Morelle said, “Today marks yet another important and exciting development in the rebirth of the Eastman Business Park. The Kodak Cell Assembly Center will strengthen Rochester’s position as a global leader in innovative energy technology development and further bolster our region’s economic resurgence. I applaud the Governor, my colleagues on the Regional Economic Development Council and all of our local partners for coming together in support of this project.”
State Senator Joe Robach said, "Today’s grand opening of the Kodak Cell Assembly Center at Eastman Business Park is great news for Eastman Business Park, Rochester and our community as a whole. While this project will create new jobs, it will also make Eastman Business Park a more attractive and suitable location for businesses from around the country and world to call home. This is just another great example of how Eastman Business Park and Rochester are once again on forefront of innovation."
County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo said, "I am proud to celebrate the grand opening of the Kodak Cell Assembly Center which further enhances our region’s reputation as a hub for innovation and advanced manufacturing. Most important, this new facility will create high-skilled jobs for our local residents. Thank you to all public and private partners involved in this project for making the vision of a high-tech, highly-skilled greater Rochester area workforce a reality."
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren said, “Today’s announcement shows that Kodak has never given up on Rochester, and Rochester will never give up on Kodak. The opening of the Kodak Cell Assembly Center further establishes our city and Eastman Business Park as hubs of innovation, manufacturing and job creation. I would like to thank Governor Cuomo, Empire State Development and NY-BEST for commitment to this project and helping Rochester provide more jobs, safer and more vibrant neighborhoods and better educational opportunities for its residents.”
Eastman Business Park is a 1,200-acre research, development and manufacturing campus with over 16 million square feet of multi-scale manufacturing, distribution, lab and office space. There are 100 companies onsite employing over 6,600 people, many of them responsible for the development of our nation’s next generation technologies in the areas of Energy Storage, Chemical Manufacturing, Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing and Photonics.
Supporting EBP and growing a comprehensive battery and energy storage hub in the region are top priorities for the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council and the Finger Lakes Forward strategic economic plan.
For additional information about NY-BEST, click here. For additional information about Kodak, click here.
Accelerating Finger Lakes Forward
Today’s announcement complements “Finger Lakes Forward,” the region’s comprehensive blueprint to generate robust economic growth and community development. The State has already invested more than $5.2 billion in the region since 2012 to lay the groundwork for the plan – investing in key industries including photonics, agriculture‎ and food production, and advanced manufacturing. Today, unemployment is down to the lowest levels since before the Great Recession; personal and corporate income taxes are down; and businesses are choosing places like Rochester, Batavia and Canandaigua as a destination to grow and invest in.
Now, the region is accelerating Finger Lakes Forward with a $500 million State investment through the Upstate Revitalization Initiative, announced by Governor Cuomo in December 2015. The State’s $500 million investment will incentivize private business to invest well over $2.5 billion – and the region’s plan, as submitted, projects up to 8,200 new jobs. More information is available here.​

NY-BEST Applauds the NYS Legislature for Unanimous Passage of
Energy Storage Deployment Bill
Legislation recognizes the important role for energy storage in modernizing New York’s electric grid
(Albany, NEW YORK, June 22, 2017) – The New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (NY-BEST) today applauded the New York State Legislature for its unanimous passage of The Energy Storage Deployment Program bill. The bill, sponsored by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin and Senator Joseph Griffo, provides a regulatory framework for the Public Service Commission to establish an energy storage deployment program.
“NY-BEST and our members in the energy storage industry are extremely grateful to Senator Griffo and Assemblywoman Paulin for their leadership and to the entire New York State Legislature for their strong support of energy storage, as evidenced by the Legislature’s unanimous passage of this bill,” said Dr. William Acker, Executive Director of NY-BEST, “Energy storage has an important role to play in modernizing New York’s electric grid, providing real benefits for ratepayers and producing environmental and economic benefits for the state. This legislation will help accelerate deployment of important storage resources on the state’s electric grid.”
The bill would require the Public Service Commission to establish a target amount of energy storage to be deployed in New York through 2030 and to create programs that will enable the State to meet the target. It will next go to Governor Andrew Cuomo for his action.
“Energy storage plays an important role in creating a more efficient, cost-effective and reliable electric grid system. Energy storage technologies, such as advanced batteries, are being developed right here in New York State and this legislation will help deploy these technologies on New York’s electric grid, creating new jobs and supporting the State's economy," said Senator Joseph Griffo.
“Expanding energy storage is critical for New York to meet its goals by enabling renewable energy to be used continuously, reducing the need for energy produced using fossil fuels,” Assemblywoman Amy Paulin said, “Storage also increases the resiliency of the electric grid by supplying power in the event of an electrical outage. The creation of an energy storage deployment program will increase the installation of energy storage systems throughout the state and accelerate these benefits.”
The legislation aligns with New York State’s Clean Energy Standard, which mandates that 50 percent of the State’s energy come from renewable sources by 2030, and the State’s Reforming the Energy Vision initiative which seeks to create a cleaner, more affordable and resilient grid through the increased use of distributed energy resources, such as solar and energy storage.
Energy storage provides flexible, reliable power that produces no greenhouse gas or harmful air emissions. Pairing storage with renewable energy like wind and solar power allows the energy that is generated when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing to be stored for use at a later time. In this way, storage helps balance supply and demand, reduces pressure on the electric grid at peak demand times, and makes the electric grid system more flexible, efficient and resilient. Energy storage also has the ability to rapidly respond to fluctuating demands for electricity, helping to stabilize the grid and ensure system reliability.
The global energy storage sector is growing rapidly and the State is beginning to experience some of that growth. A recent report by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority found that the number of jobs in New York’s storage industry grew by 1,000 between 2012 and 2015, a 30 percent increase. The report also noted that job growth in New York could grow to nearly 27,000 jobs by 2030, assuming favorable policy and regulatory programs are in place.
Earlier this year NY-BEST and Strategen Consulting released a study showing that energy storage, along with a portfolio of other clean energy sources, can fill the expected capacity gap when Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant closes, producing savings for customers and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. That Study can be viewed here: https://www.strategen.com/new-blog/2017/5/8/indian-point-replacement-options
About NY-BEST
The New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology (NY-BEST) Consortium is a non-profit corporation and industry-led consortium with more than 150 organizational members. NY-BEST’s mission is to catalyze and grow the energy storage industry and establish New York State as a global leader in the energy storage industry. Visit us on the web at www.ny-best.org
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Contact: Denise Sheehan, NY-BEST
Phone: (518)463-8644 (office), (518)429-6924 (mobile)
Email: denise@caphill.com

NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Study Finds Key Role for Energy Storage
in Replacing Indian Point Nuclear Plant
Energy storage can produce $315 million in savings for customers over 5 years
(Albany, NEW YORK, May 8, 2017) – A new study released by the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (NY-BEST), in partnership with Strategen Consulting, shows that energy storage, along with a portfolio of other clean energy sources, can replace the 2,000 megawatt Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant, produce savings for customers and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The study, performed by Strategen Consulting, illustrates that 450 megawatts of energy storage -- in combination with additional wind, solar, and energy efficiency -- can help fill the gaps created by the closure of Indian Point while saving New Yorkers money. The analysis projects an estimated $315 million in savings from energy storage over a five-year period to customers when compared to other more traditional power replacement options.
“As plans are being developed to replace the 2,000 megawatts of power provided by Indian Point, New York has an opportunity to eschew the conventional fossil-fueled energy sources of the past and embrace clean renewable energy technologies, coupled with energy storage, to meet our energy needs, achieve our environmental goals and grow the number of high-tech jobs across the state,” said Dr. William Acker, Executive Director of NY-BEST.
In January 2017, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that under a settlement with Entergy, the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant will close by April 2021. The plant, located 25 miles north of New York City, provides 2,000 megawatts of energy to the metro New York area. Under Governor Cuomo, New York State has also established a Clean Energy Standard requiring that 50 percent of the State’s energy come from renewable energy sources by 2030 and has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050.
"New York's situation closely mirrors California's recent experience when a major nuclear plant was retired near Los Angeles. Rather than relying exclusively on traditional replacement options like natural gas, California turned to clean energy resources such as energy storage. New York has the opportunity to do the same and benefit from another state's experience," said Ed Burgess, Senior Manager at Strategen Consulting.
Energy storage, when combined with renewable energy sources like wind and solar power, provides flexible, reliable power that produces no greenhouse gas emissions. Pairing storage with renewable energy allows the energy that is generated when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing to be stored for use at a later time. In this way, storage helps balance supply and demand, reduces pressure on the electric grid at peak demand times, and makes the system more flexible and resilient. Energy storage can also help reduce harmful air pollutants from peaking power plants which contribute to asthma and other negative health impacts.
The Strategen study illustrates that a clean mix of replacement options, combined with storage, can fulfill New York’s resource needs, replacing retired units efficiently, and at a low cost while still achieving New York’s greenhouse gas emissions and other goals.
Other states facing similar issues to New York’s have turned to energy storage. California in response to the closure of the San Onofre nuclear power plant and power shortages caused by the natural gas leak in Aliso Canyon, mandated the use of innovative clean energy solutions, including energy storage projects.
The energy storage sector is growing rapidly. A recent report by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority found that the number of jobs in New York’s storage industry grew by 1,000 between 2012 and 2015, a 30 percent increase, and job growth could grow to nearly 27,000 by 2030.
The Strategen Consulting Study can be viewed here: https://www.strategen.com/new-blog/2017/5/8/indian-point-replacement-options
About NY-BEST
The New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology (NY-BEST) Consortium is a non-profit corporation and industry-led consortium with more than 150 organizational members. NY-BEST’s mission is to catalyze and grow the energy storage industry and establish New York State as a global leader in the energy storage industry. Visit us on the web at www.ny-best.org
About Strategen Consulting
Strategen Consulting is a strategic advisory firm that provides insight to utilities, public sector leaders, research institutions, and global corporations, helping them to develop impactful and sustainable clean energy strategies. Strategen specializes in providing independent analysis and regulatory support to help clients navigate some of the energy sector’s most pressing issues.
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Contact: Denise Sheehan, NY-BEST
Phone: (518)463-8644 (office), (518)429-6924 (mobile)
Email: denise@caphill.com

Syracuse, New York - October 20, 2016 – National Grid today announced a $242,000 clean tech incubator grant to the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (NY-BEST) at NY-BEST’s 6nd Annual “Energy Storage Technology Conference”. The grant will fund NY-BEST’s new virtual clean tech incubator for battery and energy storage technology start-up companies in New York State.
“We are excited to support NY-BEST’s new virtual clean tech incubator for battery and energy storage technology," said Ken Daly, president of National Grid in New York. "National Grid supports innovation through programs like NY-BEST to provide emerging start-ups with an opportunity to grow in New York. The company’s support of programs like this helps to sustain a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem that is the backbone of a clean tech economy. And it’s another way National Grid gives back to the communities it serves."
Advanced batteries and energy storage products are changing the way energy is used on the electric grid and in transportation. Batteries and other storage devices are being used on the electric grid to store energy from intermittent renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, and to make the electric grid run more efficiently. Fuel cells and batteries are powering new vehicles. Entrepreneurs are developing these energy storage technologies here in New York where new companies are emerging with innovative products for the changing demands of the marketplace.
“NY-BEST thanks National Grid for recognizing the great potential of the energy storage technology industry in New York and the importance to our economy of supporting start-up companies in bringing new innovative technologies to the marketplace.” said NY-BEST Executive Director, William Acker. “This National Grid funding will be instrumental for NY-BEST to assist energy storage start-ups in commercializing their technologies, validating their technical solutions and helping to raise important investor capital for these promising entrepreneurs.”
The $242,000 National Grid CleanTech program incentive will be used by NY-BEST to create a new virtual incubator called, “NY-BEST Business Resources to Innovate, Develop, Grow and Excel (NY-BEST-BRIDGE)”. With the grant funds, NY-BEST will deliver direct business assistance and guidance, technical expertise, mentoring, access to capital and other funding sources, and access to other technical resources; all tailored to the needs of energy storage businesses. NY-BEST plans to use the funds to increase the number of new energy storage start-ups in New York and accelerate the path to commercial success for these companies.
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NATIONAL GRID AWARDS $242K GRANT TO NY-BEST
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National Grid since the inception of the program in 2003 has provided over $790,000 in clean tech incentives to 10 upstate New York organizations.
National Grid’s CleanTech Incubation grant program supports the development of a self-sustaining entrepreneurial and innovation “ecosystem” in upstate New York that will stimulate and support high growth new businesses generating new jobs and new investment. For more information and program descriptions, visit National Grid’s website at: http://www.shovelready.com/grants.asp
About NY-BEST
The New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology (NY-BEST) Consortium is a non-profit corporation established in 2010 to position New York State as a global leader in energy storage technology including applications in transportation, grid storage, and power electronics. An industry-led consortium with more than 150 organizational members, NY-BEST’s mission is to catalyze and grow the energy storage industry and establish New York State as a global leader in the energy storage industry. Visit us on the web at www.ny-best.org.
About National Grid
National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE: NGG) is an electricity and natural gas delivery company that connects nearly 7 million customers to vital energy sources through its networks in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the Northeast. National Grid also operates the systems that deliver gas and electricity across Great Britain.
Through its U.S. Connect21 strategy, National Grid is transforming its electricity and natural gas networks to support the 21st century digital economy with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions. Connect21 is vital to our communities' long-term economic and environmental health and aligns with regulatory initiatives in New York (REV: Reforming the Energy Vision) and Massachusetts (Grid Modernization).
For more information please visit our website: www.nationalgridus.com, or our Connecting website. You can also follow us on Twitter, watch us on You Tube, Friend us on Facebook and find our photos on Instagram.
NY-BEST Contact:
Denise Sheehan
denise@caphill.com
518.429.6924

The New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (NY-BEST) – a consortium of more than 150 battery and energy storage companies, universities, industry and government partners -- today released the Energy Storage Roadmap for New York’s Electric Grid. The Roadmap recommends that the State’s electric grid have 2 GW of multi-hour energy storage by 2025 and 4 GW by 2030, to achieve the State’s grid modernization and renewable energy goals established under the State’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) and Clean Energy Standard initiatives.

Rochester, N.Y. - The New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (NY-BEST) is hosting a battery and energy storage technology conference at the Hilton Doubletree in Rochester on Thursday, November 12, 2015 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, with a networking reception immediately following. NY-BEST is also offering conference attendees tours of the battery development assets in Rochester on the morning of November 13, 2015. - See more at: http://www.ny-best.org/resource/leading-experts-speak-rochester-battery-energy-storage-technology-conference#sthash.OGaTEWaS.dpuf

“NY-BEST congratulates Glenwood, Demand Energy and EnerSys on their successful partnership to deploy a total of one megawatt of distributed energy storage systems in select buildings in New York City. This effort comes at a time when New York State is in the midst of an effort, known as the Reforming the Energy Vision (REV), to transform the electric grid using more distributed sources of energy, like storage...